LAST UPDATE | 2 Jun 2023

A MAN IN Northern Ireland has been charged after a video emerged on social media appearing to show him threatening a passenger with a gun.

It follows a taxi firm firing a driver after a video began circulating yesterday.

A PSNI statement said: “Detectives investigating a video circulating online showing a man with a suspected firearm have charged a man to court.

“The 48 year old has been charged with possession of a firearm or imitation with intent to cause fear of violence, threats to kill, common assault and possession of a Class A controlled drug.

“As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.”

The man is due to appear before Laganside Magistrates Court tomorrow.

The incident, which reportedly happened in Holywood, Co Down, was placed under investigation by the PSNI after police became aware of the video showing “a man with a suspected firearm”.

In the video, which has been circulated widely on social media the driver, holding what appears to be a gun, threatens the passenger in the front while another man in the back watches on.

“You are f***ing lucky i’m not taking your f***ing knees out in this f***ing car park son, because that’s the f***ing mood I’m in, believe me, I’m telling ya, see what happens in this car, see if you tell anyone about it, I will f***ing take your legs off,” the driver tells the passenger in the front before slapping him in the face with the gun. 

“Do you hear me right, this is the last of it son, you make up what you need to make up quickly, you whip your debt off, see next time I come up, I will be taking your f***ing leg off. 

“Only because that’s my f***ing mate, and only because he is my mate, I would be taking your legs off, that’s it, it finishes here, I promise,” he goes on. 

The man in the back says “I’m shaking like a leaf here mate” at the end of the clip, to which the driver says “I’m sorry for putting you in that situation”. 

FonaCab confirmed that the footage is “dashcam footage of an incident involving a fonaCAB driver at around 11.30 pm last night. 

“The driver was identified and called this morning to present at the earliest opportunity to fonaCAB head office, at which time he was interviewed and his relationship with fonaCAB immediately terminated,” they added. 

FonaCAB stated that it is cooperating with the PSNI. 

The company said that the incident did not happen during a “passenger booking”, and claimed that the driver was “logged off and was not working for fonaCAB at the time of the incident”. 

“We will however state that any action which affects the safety of our passengers, staff and drivers is never acceptable and should any infringement occur will be dealt with immediately by fonaCAB and referred to the appropriate authorities,” the company said. 

Additional reporting by Eoghan Dalton and Emer Moreau